WCCHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center on Oahu, which offers comprehensive care to a medically underserved and extremely culturally diverse population. Our patients are predominantly of Native Hawaiian ancestry, and many have traditional cultural ideologies and values. Interns provide assessment and treatment for a wide range of acute, chronic, and severe psychological and/or organic conditions for patinets of all ages.

Our main campus main is located in Waianae, with satellite clinics in Nanakuli, Kapolei, Waipahu, Ewa, and the school system. Services provided include primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics, chronic pain management, dentistry, preventative health, emergency medicine (with a 24-hour ER), traditional Native Hawaiian Healing, and a fully integrated behavioral health program.

We have a long and successful history of training students and are proud of our graduates, who have gone on to work successfully in a variety of settings including community health, private practice, academia, military, correctional facilities, and schools. They practice locally in Hawaii, on the Continental US, and internationally (Canada and New Zealand). Many hold supervisory and/or leadership positions.

Interns are welcomed into a team of 20 psychologists (one of whom is also an APRN-Rx.), 6 psychiatrists, an APRN-Rx, and medical and clinical assistants who are dedicated to their training and development. A unique strength of our program is that interns have year-long rotations which enables them to engage in long-term therapy, in-depth clinical supervision of cases, and see patients from intake through termination. Interns participate on a minimum of one rotation with traditional child psychotherapy emphasis, and one with traditional adult psychotherapy emphasis. They will also engage in a minimum total of 6 months of psychological testing and report writing on the Assessment rotation, and participate in a Research and Program Development rotation (time on this rotation is varied). They may also request up to 2 additional rotations. The following rotations are currently available:

Adult Outpatient and Child and Family Rotations: are located at our Waianae Main campus, which includes psychology and psychiatry. Interns will see patients with a wide range of presenting concerns, with emphasis on either the treatment of adults or children.

Crisis Intervention and Outpatient Mental Health Rotation: is located in Adult Medicine, and interns collaborate with primary care providers and will see patients in the Emergency Department. They will gain experience in primary care psychology, crisis intervention, and triage for the appropriate levels of care.

Pediatric Clinic rotation: is located in a pediatric setting and interns collaborate with pediatricians and pediatric case managers, and receive both behavioral health and pediatric health referrals.

Women’s Health Clinic rotation: is located in a Women’s Health setting. Interns collaborate with OBGYN physicians and perinatal case managers, and see patients for concerns such as postpartum depression, adjustment to pregnancy/parenthood, domestic violence, and other behavioral health concerns.

Ewa-West Oahu Community Health rotation: is located at Child and Family Services – Ewa, which provides opportunity for partnership/referral from various co-located social service agencies (e.g. CFS, and domestic violence and parenting agencies).

Waipahu Behavioral Health Clinic rotation: is located in the Filipino Community Center and patients there are predominantly of Filipino ancestry. Interns learn about culture with regard to the population served.

Nanakuli Clinic rotation: is located in an integrated primary care setting. Interns will train in collaboration with primary care and medical students.

Kapolei Behavioral Health rotation: is located in West Oahu Community Health, across the hall from Specialty Clinic and above primary care, providing opportunities for collaboration.

Biological Bases of Severe Psychopathology rotation: Update 11/2023: please note that this rotation may be unavailable for the 2024-2025 training year, or may be offered as a modified integrated primary care experience with psychopharmacology and biological bases training and exposure.

School Based Behavioral Health: is located in Nanakuli and Waianae High and Intermediate Schools. This is not currently a rotation, but may be an opportunity in the future.

Interns receive weekly didactics on various topics and participate in a 6-month biweekly seminar on psychopharmacology and the biological etiologies of mental illness. They provide supervision to practicum students and attend a biweekly supervision seminar, weekly journal club, and monthly grand rounds. Applicants with experience or interest in working with the Native Hawaiian population and/or medically underserved populations are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have written a minimum of 5 integrated assessment reports.